Stale
by monitorscreen
Summary: They could not be close friends forever. [Oishi Shuichirou]


**Title:** Stale  
**Author: **monitorscreen  
**Fandom:** Prince of Tennis  
**Character:** Oishi Shuichirou  
**Rating:** G  
**Word count:** 669  
**Dislcaimer:** Prince of Tennis is the creation of Konomi Takeshi, not mine.  
**Summary:** They could not be close friends forever.  
**Author's notes:** Fic #14 for LJ comm **Ficlets on Demand**'s Fic a Day June Challenge. Request: _Time_ by **kneazles**.

* * *

**Stale**

by monitor screen

-o-

When the class reunion invitation came, Oishi actually debated whether to go or not. It was not that he did not like his year mates, but rather he liked their past glories too much to want to know the cold reality. Surely not everyone could have come up on top - the world was not a very kind place.

They - the former Seigaku tennis team - had managed to somehow keep in touch over the years, throughout university and into society. But they _had_ drifted apart - the get-togethers dwindled, the phone calls coming fewer and further between, the letters turning into the occasional emails sent to everybody. Besides tennis they did not really have another common interest, and it was only natural that conversations became scarcer as they each grew more invested in their respective lives.

Oishi was content with the trickle of information he got from his old friends; it meant he could fill up the empty spaces with his well-wishing images. If Tezuka did not talk about anything but work, he could have been with some good friends in his leisure. If Fuji did not talk about anything but his hobbies, he could have excelled in his career. If Eiji did not talk about anything more than his colleagues, he could have gotten himself a nice girl. If Oishi did not know, he could believe in any of the best situations, be they true or not.

Oishi did not talk about much other than his family, either. He did not have good friends to hang out with, was not outstanding in his job, nor had he settled down with a woman. He of all people would know that the omitted details did not imply favourable outcomes. But it was good to hope for the best for his old friends.

The wishful illusions were likely to shatter if Oishi attended the reunion. Together for a long evening, many topics could come up; Oishi knew he would worry for his friends if they might be facing any trouble. The helpless anxiety ensued would be too painful to go through. Oishi seriously considered against going.

----------

In the end Oishi's desire to see his old friends won over, and he attended the reunion with a wary heart. Everybody seemed fine, though, so Oishi relaxed a little as they settled around a table, all six of them close to each other.

What Oishi dreaded never happened.

The group discussed about current affairs, about sports, even about politics at one point; on the personal fronts, everybody just repeated what they had said before - no upsetting news popped up. Kawamura still went on elaborations about cuisine, Inui still offered wild predictions on random events. If one did not listen in to the contents of their conversations, it was almost like they were back in high school again, the solid friends with a comfortable understanding once more.

Almost, but not quite.

That degree of knowing they had had on each other was lost along with the passing years; wherein before they had left something unsaid because everyone in the group had already known about it, now they left out things because they did not know how the others would take it. It might be the same amicable air on the surface, but down under the connections were broken.

Oishi was surprised the realisation did not hurt as much as he expected.

----------

Distance aside, it was a pleasant evening. Only when meeting his old friends face to face did Oishi noticed how much about them had he forgotten; it was nice to have the chance to refresh the memories. The more shallow ones, anyway.

When it was time to part, the group vowed to meet again soon, an empty promise they all knew was improbable to fulfil. They bid their farewells easily; none of them lingered as they went their separate ways.

Oishi supposed it was for the better. After all, there was no use trying to revive what was dead and buried.

-o-


End file.
